The present invention relates to belt-lacing machines for clinching hook or C-shaped belt fasteners to a belt end.
Lacing machines to secure hook belt fasteners, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,958, to the end of a belt have been known and utilized for many years. These machines include manual lacers, that is hand operated, with multiple anvil arrangements, as well as hydraulically operable lacers. The multiple-anvil, press-type lacing machines require movement of the belt through the lacing machine or movement of the lacing machine along the length of a belt to secure the belt fasteners. The multiple-anvil lacing machines are frequently bulky and heavy, and consequently they are not readily portable for use in awkward, remote or hard-to-negotiate sites.
Belt lacing machines of the multiple-anvil type are illustrated by the apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,074-Tebb et al., wherein a multiple anvil apparatus is coupled to a hydraulic operator. This structure, either with or without the hydraulic operator, is a cumbersome and bulky apparatus, which is not readily portable to a remote site for repair and maintenance of a belt. Other multiple-anvil type apparatus utilize a single anvil. However, they require indexing of the anvil apparatus along the belt end for clinching of the individual fasteners to this belt end. This single-indexing operation is slow, cumbersome and wearying to the operator, as it may encompass the actuation of a dual-handle apparatus for the clinching of each fastener.
Earlier belt lacing machines similarly applied a single fastener to a belt end with each stroke of the machine.
Indicative of this type of apparatus is the structure disclosed and taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,740,180-Larsen, wherein a sleeve of hooks or fasteners may be applied to a belt end by a machine that is operable by a crank and lever apparatus. However, this early structure is not readily portable for usage in a confined environment, and does not lend itself to rapid application of fasteners to a wide belt.
Belt lacing machines are frequently lighter, more compact and more easily operable apparatus than the stand-alone belt-fastener devices with larger bases and frames. A known belt lacer utilizes a pair of rollers that are operable along a secured belt end, which belt end is maintained in this position during the application of belt fasteners thereto. Belt fasteners may be of the stamped metal plate kind of open-jaw, C-shaped fasteners or may be wire, open-jaw, C-shaped fasteners each of which has opposed pointed jaw ends, which are pressed into the conveyor belt end to form a U-shaped clamp with an eyelet to receive a coupling hinge pin for mating with similar fasteners on the opposite end of the conveyor belt and for subsequent coupling by a hinge pin inserted through the mated eyelets. In the belt-lacing machines, the lacing rollers are held in a roller-head assembly and the gap distance or separation between the roller circumference is adjustable to provide for variations in belt thickness, and more importantly, to provide the user with the opportunity to control the depth to which the pointed ends of the fasteners are pressed into the belt. That is, several roller passes or strokes may be used to sink the pointed ends into the belt to the desired depth to finally secure and clinch the fasteners in the belt end.
Belt lacing machines, that are compact and lightweight for portability, are useful in remote locations including on-the-job sites, and find particular application in field-like operations. Therefore, portability and ease of use are vital characteristics for a roller lacer, which is utilized in a remote location, or removed from a permanent location. Further, the belt ends being repaired or having new fasteners applied are frequently required to be cut to square the leading edge for application of the fasteners. The belt ends may be marked with a line for cutting by a cutting machine, which line may be applied by methods known in the art. A problem may occur that the belt being worked upon may have a width greater than the width of roller lacer and it is desirable that the belt lacer be able to be used with belt widths greater than the belt lacer width.
Preferably, the belt lacers will be relatively lightweight so as to be portable and small so as to be used in cramped quarters in field locations and will be low in cost to be competitive with other belt lacers of the prior art.